Pushing the Limits
by 24isthebest
Summary: Juliette sees ZAG perform and gets a bit "frustrated" at her boyfriend's stage presence.


So this was prompted after watching 2.16 with a few other JA shippers. Avery was quite hot in that performance, and we all know Juliette has a bit of a sexual appetite so...

This is just meant to be a fun fic... it is kind of AU to everything in canon... I just really love the idea of ZAG + Juliette being friends!

* * *

"Another two please!" She raised her hand towards the bartender, motioning to the now empty shot glasses in front of her.

"Not for me please." Zoey giggled a little, pushing her empty shot glass away from her. "I'm on the edge of my buzz into something a bit more dangerous."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh come on. You're a pro."

"I won't be a pro if I trip getting up on stage."

"Honey, I used to take shots of Jack and get up on stage." She stuck her shoulders out proudly. "Tolerance is your best friend."

"Here you go ladies, two fireballs." The bartender slid the shots over towards them.

Juliette smiled over at the bartender flirtatiously. "My friend over here said she doesn't want another one. What do you think I should do with the extra?" She flashed her smile over to handsome blonde behind the bar.

"I reckon you'd be best taking it." The bartender leaned forward, gleaning at her.

"An accent." She looked over at Zoey and smiled. "I like that." She pulled both shots close to her, taking them both one after the other. "Well you know what they say, 'brunettes always have more fun'."

"I think the saying is 'blondes have more fun', but whatever you say sweetheart." The bartender gripped the counter in front of them. "I bet _you_ have fun no matter what."

"Can't argue with that." She smiled over at Zoey, who seemed amused by the entire interaction she was witnessing.

"So, you ladies here for the show?" Clearly trying to make small talk. She bit her lip, laughing at where she knew this conversation was going.

"You're talking to the girl who's playing tonight." She motioned over to Zoey, watching her nod in affirmation. "And I'm here to see my boyfriend perform."

"Really?" He looked back and forth at the two women, clearly duped. It took everything in her to not laugh in his face. "Boyfriend."

"He'll be the one playing the guitar." She leaned back in the stool, watching his reaction with great amusement. "Maybe I'll introduce you two?"

"Sure." Clearly annoyed, he backed away from the counter, looking towards the cash register. "Excuse me, I gotta take care of some of the other customers."

Once he was out of their vicinity, both women let out the laughs they were holding.

"I can not believe you." Zoey pressed her eyes shut, stopping tears.

"What?" She shrugged innocently, sipping her beer. "I was just being friendly."

"That wig is dangerous for you woman, let me tell you." Zoey eyed the dark hair.

"Oh come on." She tugged at the ends of the wig lightly. "It's all fun."

"What's fun?" Gunnar appeared behind Zoey, wrapping his arms low around Zoey's waist.

"She just tried to pick up that bartender."

Juliette's jaw dropped. "I did not."

Gunnar grabbed Zoey's beer, taking a swig. "Hate to break it to you, but I don't think Avery is into threesomes."

"The fact that you say that with such confidence is disturbing."

Zoey's eyes also narrowed, looking up at her boyfriend. "You have anything to share there?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" Juliette looked over at Zoey playfully. "The only pair he hangs out with is you two."

He backed away, hands up. "It was a joke."

"Right." Juliette smirked. "Anyway, where is my said boyfriend?"

"He's just tuning his guitar I think." He looked down at Zoey. "I came to get you, we're on in five."

Zoey jumped off the stool, shooting a smile over at her. "See you after?"

"Yep." She nodded, standing as well. "I'm gonna try to get up as close as I can."

Gunnar let out a small wave, as he and Zoey both walked towards the stage.

She edged her way to the stage, still about 5 feet away. The band had garnered a bit of an underground fanbase in Nashville, despite only playing from time to time. Booking The Five Spot on Friday night clearly inferred that.

"They should be coming out soon right?" She could hear a group of female fans next to her.

"Yeah, they should be on soon." One of the blondes flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I think two of them are dating though, I saw them making out after the show at Mercy Lounge."

"The drummer right?" The brunette next to her took a sip of her drink. "That's alright. The guitar player is much more my type."

Juliette gripped her drink tightly, gritting her teeth.

"Someone that sexy _has_ to have someone." The blonde flipped her hair again. Did she have the brain cells to do anything else?

"I'm sure he as a couple 'someones'." The brunette smirked.

Suddenly, liquid flew over in her direction.

"Are you kidding?" The brunette looked at her shirt, now soaked in beer.

Juliette stuck out her lip in faux apology, internally cheering. "Sorry, I tripped. It's really crowded in here."

The brunette looked her up and down before rolling her eyes. "Watch where you're going next time." She pushed her way through the crowd towards the bathroom with her vapid friend trailing close behind.

"Hey y'all." Zoey's voice broke her thought process. "Thanks for coming out tonight! I'm Zoey."

"I'm Gunnar."

"And I'm Avery." She eyed her boyfriend appreciably in his dark wash jeans and black v-neck.

"And we're here to play a few songs for you guys." Zoey looked over at her bandmates, smiling. "Here's one that you guys might know, for those of you that have seen us in a couple places. It's one of our favorites."

She saw Avery finger the opening riff, and the crowd grew excited.

_Left my home when I was young_

_Sold my heart for a song_

The harmonies on the tune were perfect and the smiles between three showed the friendship that was evident. But more than that, it was the way Avery looked back and forth at Zoey and Gunnar, guiding them without overpowering them, commanding the stage.

Her boyfriend was damn sexy up there.

She felt a rush of heat to her face. Was she drunk? Or was he really turning her on by just performing?

_The hardest thing I ever had to do_

_Was stand up straight and try to love you_

His raspy voice rang out, and hit her right in her gut. He was actually turning her on by just performing. This was unreal. She shifted from foot to foot, trying to fight the heat pooling below her waist. He backed away from the microphone, laughing over at Gunnar, letting him take the lead on the harmonica.

Both Zoey and Gunnar's voices took prominence, as he strummed his guitar quickly, pulling out the sound for his complicated guitar riff. Watching his fingers move fast on the worn instrument made her imagine those same fingers…

She literally stopped those thoughts in their tracks. As if she wasn't hot enough for him right now. Continuing those thoughts would force her to either pull him off stage this second or go the bathroom to help herself out.

She was stuck in a trance that was Avery Barkley and she needed him now. Her excitement at watching her friends perform had quickly turned into a state of frustration. She and Avery had both been relatively busy these past weeks, and the last time she had seen him perform had been at the Bluebird after she had come home from LA. Not that she had forgotten how talented he was; they did still write together quite a lot at home. She did however forget how intoxicating his stage presence was, and his confidence as he fed off the crowd's energy.

From the corner of her eye, she could spot the two females who had pissed her off earlier towards the front, right in front of Avery. _How the hell did they manage that?_

Fury rose in her, as she gulped the remainder of her beer down. While she knew better than to make a scene in a small public place, part of her wanted to rip off her wig and let those two girls know exactly who she was. But she wouldn't do that. Not only would it be dangerous for her, it would take away from the performance. She could almost picture the hideous headlines in the paper tomorrow.

"Thank you all so much for coming out. We have a lot of fun performing for you guys, always." She heard Avery's voice ring out sexily. He looked out into the audience, and locked eyes with her. She smiled bright at him knowing that he had found her. "Means a lot to us that you came out, hope to see you all again soon!"

She quickly edged her way around the crowd, trying to catch her friends walking off stage. Instead, she was blocked by two females she had grown to truly hate in a short period of time.

"Hey you." She saw the blonde call out to Avery, who was placing his guitar in its case. "Loved your show."

"Thanks." Avery smiled kindly at them, while she fumed from two feet away. _Damn her height_. He clearly could not see her from his vantage point, especially not over those two women with giraffe legs.

"My friend and I have been to a couple of your shows now, we're big fans of your band." The brunette pressed her hands to her hips. "Have you guys gotten signed yet? You're one of the best local bands around this town."

She saw Avery smile gratefully. "That's kind of you. We're actually not interested in getting signed. We're just friends with day jobs who like playing together when we can."

"What a shame." The blonde pouted, edging closer to him. "How long have you been in Nashville? I know a few underground places me and my friend would _love_ to show you."

Juliette could practically feel anger coursing through her veins.

"I've actually been in Nashville for a little while." Avery looked around carefully. "I feel like I know everywhere there is to know sadly."

"I'm surethere are a few places you haven't been." The brunette stuck her chest out. God that girl's game was embarrassing. "We're pretty adventurous."

Oh _hell_ no.

"That's nice." Avery clearly was starting to get the hint as to where the conversation was going, as he looked around. Her boyfriend was clearly an idiot. "I'm actually looking for someone."

And that was her cue.

She rammed forward, sticking her head around the two lanky women to catch Avery's eye.

He locked eyes with her, and she saw relief flood over his face. "I think I see my girlfriend, so if you'll excuse me."

She saw the women turn around to look at her, as she smirked up at them. She maneuvered her body around them, so that she stood in between them and Avery. "Thanks for keeping my boyfriend company. I'll take it from here." She pointed over at the brunette's clearly wet shirt. "Plus, you might wanna go wash that out before it stains."

She smirked as she saw the shocked look of recognition on their faces, before they turned away embarrassed. _Serves them right_.

She turned back to Avery to see him smirking. "What?"

"Nothing."

Anger rose in her. "You're smirking about something Avery. Spit it out."

He laughed, tilting his head at her. "I love it when you get jealous. You do this thing with your mouth… it's kinda adorable."

"Those girls were looking at you like you were a piece of meat." She huffed. "You should be offended." She tried to push away the irony considering the thoughts she was having about him throughout his entire performance. And the thoughts she was still having now, despite her outward anger.

"I am." His eyes sparkled at her. "I'm really offended. I swear."

"You asshole." She smacked his arm.

He feigned pain, moving closer to her. "What? I am offended. I'm just glad I have you to defend my honor."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're making fun of me."

"You're making yourself an easy target." He placed his hands on her hips tight, lowering his face close to hers.

She pushed away the fluttering of her stomach at his proximity. "I am not."

"Just admit you're jealous." His hot breath made her dizzy. _Damn it_. "I just wanna hear it."

"No such luck." She spit back, channeling the lust into anger. "That bartender was interested in me before, let's see how interested he is when he finds out who I am."

"Oh come on." He looked her playfully, but she saw his eyes drift over to the bar for a quick second. "Will it really hurt you that much to admit you may be the tiniest bit jealous?"

"Fine." She sighed. "Maybe a little. But don't let it get to your head."

"You'll never let that happen babe, don't worry." He smiled bright at her, kissing her forehead quickly. "Can you give me a couple minutes to get my stuff from the back? I think Zoey and Gunnar already grabbed their stuff."

"Sure." She felt him press his lips carefully to hers, giving her a lingering kiss. Before she could deepen it, he pulled away, turning his heel towards the backroom.

Without thinking, she followed him towards the backroom, shutting the door behind them.

"Juliette, what the hell…" She grabbed a fist full of his t-shirt, roughly pulling his face towards hers, opening her mouth to him. She felt him instantly respond, moving his lips against hers.

"I'll be quick, I swear." She gasped against his mouth, pulling at his jeans, pushing her hips rough against his.

He pulled away, clearly thinking this one through. "Someone could walk in any minute Juliette. This is the storage room."

She grabbed his guitar case off the small counter behind them, propping it against the door.

"You realize that does nothing right?" He eyed the door. "That's not a lock."

She huffed, pulling her shirt over her head. "I don't care."

"I know you don't, but I'm just saying…"

"Stop. Talking." She grabbed at his belt loops, pulling his body back until she reached one of the walls. "I'm not waiting until we go home. I want you now." All the frustration that built up over the course of the night was pulsing through her veins. "I need you now."

He pressed her body hard against his, so she felt the cool wall of the storage room against her bare back. He placed hot kisses down her neck, and she practically whimpered as he moved his lips down her chest.

"Avery." She bit her lip in arousal, cupping the back of his head, pushing it closer to her. "All I could think about tonight was how sexy you were up on stage." His tongue circled her navel.

"Really?" She felt him smirk against her stomach. The feeling of his facial hair on the sensitive skin of her stomach made her breathless.

"You're lucky I didn't grab you off stage after that guitar solo. I thought about it though." She panted, spreading her legs further. "God you turned me on so much."

He reached up to run his hands up her sides, feeling the heat radiating off her. "You're body is on fire babe."

"I've been hot since you started your set." Her hips jerked feeling him cup her backside. "Seriously. I thought about taking care of myself halfway through. That's how bad it was."

"You should have gotten me off stage." His voice was laced with lust like hers; she could hear it. "I wouldn't have minded. Zoey and Gunnar could have handled it."

"I'm lucky you guys only did two songs. I probably could have come right there if you had performed one more. It's insane how wet you made me."

He growled, clearly aroused by her words, pulling her heat towards him. "Now you know how I feel every time I watch you perform."

She opened her eyes, shocked out of her trance. "Seriously?"

"I practically explode every time it comes to "Hanging on a Lie" babe." His teeth grazed the top of her jeans. "Not kidding. You're lucky you're too busy performing to notice."

"Well know that I know that..." She hissed feeling him press his lips to her heat through her jeans. She gripped her hand to the wall, trying to grasp at anything she could. Her legs shook a little, unstable as sparks flew up her spine.

He rose to his feet, grabbing her upper thighs, turning towards the opposite wall to place her on the small counter. He threw the papers lying on it on the floor haphazardly, pulling at his buckle quickly.

She lifted her own hips, pulling her jeans down her legs as quickly as she could, wrapped her bare legs around his thighs, pulling him closer. "We've got to move fast, Gunnar and Zoey are probably looking for us."

"Screw Gunnar and Zoey." He jerked her body forward and spread her legs wide, so she was almost off the counter. He took the wig off her head, throwing it where he had thrown the papers.

He slid in easily; she had been so wet for him for so long now. She panted his name, wrapping her arms around his neck, moaning his name into his ear in a way she knew would drive him crazy.

He picked up the pace, pushing deeper and deeper until he knew he was at the right place based on her grip on his back.

"Avery I'm close." She lifted her hips as far as she could off the counter and towards him. She gripped his backside, pulling him closer while biting down on his shoulder to control her voice.

"You're so tight baby, I can feel it." His voice was raspy. Pushing deeper, he felt her body shake against him roughly as she released. He followed quickly behind her, breathing heavily until their bodies had stopped moving out of their own volition.

She ran her hands through his hair, and he lifted her off the small counter so she could place her feet on the ground again.

"I hope you didn't mess up the wig Avery." She shook it out, trying to place it back over her head carefully.

"I'm not having sex with you with that wig on." He huffed, pulling up his pants. "That's for sure." He pulled the wig over her head, trying to place it back on the way it had been before.

Pulling on their clothes fully, she smirked over at him. "Maybe we should find Zoey and Gunnar now?"

"Good idea. We did say we were getting burgers after right?"

"Yeah. They're probably looking for us by now."

"Probably." Grabbing his guitar, he held out his hand for her to grasp, entwining fingers as they discreetly exited the storage room.

Spotting their friends by the bar, they moved towards them.

"Hey." Juliette smiled over at them both, leaning against Avery. "You guys ready to go?"

"Sure, let's head out." Zoey smiled at them warmly. Gunnar turned, looking at them up and down before widening his eyes.

"Are you two serious?"

"What?" Avery let out innocently.

"Here?" He groaned. "Do you two ever give it a rest?"

Zoey smacked his arm hard.

"What?" He looked over at his girlfriend incredulously. "Are you forgetting last week when they had sex in _our car_?"

Juliette shrugged. "You guys were taking too long getting groceries. We got bored."

Zoey and Avery bit back their laughter, as Gunnar raised his hands in disbelief. "Really? I still have nightmares over what I saw. You two have a problem."

"Don't worry," She let go of Avery, sauntering confidently towards the direction of the door. "Next time we'll let you join."


End file.
